Collapsible air conduit



W. L. STEPHENS ETAL .2,371,556

March 13, 1945.

COLLAPS IBLE AIR CONDUIT Filed June 13, 1942 'GEES' www Patented Mar. 13, 1945 UNITED RATESN OFT-FICE v i fas'insimsl A Vc'oLLnPsmm Walter-L. .Steffens and Laurence .-E. Whitaker, Wyoming .Ohio, .assignors to 'IlhezBhilip Garey .Manufacturing.Company, a corporation ofiQhio Applicationiiunel, 1942,'SerialNon4f16gJ920 nomma (o1. .13s-fsa.)

yThis invention frela'tes to 'air `conduits 'or pipes and more particularly to conduits 'or pipes which are "adapted to be collapsed "in a lfiatcondition for shipment 'and 'handling ,and lare then 'ex-` panded and yassembled on the jjob into' 'conduits from a 'flat or collapsed condition `without `requiring more than expanding, itting the sections together Ain Iend to end 'relation and applying -a collar or other'suitable `securing #at the encljoint seams. n .y

For "a better understanding tot vthe invention,

reference may -be `made Jto the 4accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. `1 is a perspective view oi faportion y:of a conduit or 'pipe yembodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged en d view of a part 'of a conduit or pipe section;

Fig. '3 is 1.it-'perspective View of ka lcollapsed -con duit 'or-pipe section; and

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on line '4 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring zto the drawing particularly, Iin 4which like numerals are "used `to designate .like parts,

numeral `I 'designates 'generally conduit or pipe sections which 'are 'disposed iin end to end relation 'and connected preferably by `a collar :2 lof the 'same general construction as the `conduit sections, the vcollar being `'iitized over 'the 'joint seamk 3`of the abutting l conduitr sections. Any other suitable fastening 'means may `-be1used 'in lieu of the collar.

The conduit-sections :comprise a circumferentially )continuous Vcore '4 4which may be of any suitable material that is flexible and adapted to be folded or bent. Asbestos felt or paper is suitable. One or more plies are wound about a Inandrel or otherwise formed in tubular shape to provide a hollow core which is exible and nonrigid. The core is of any desired shape. It is here shown to be rectangular` in shape, preferably with` two of the opposite sides somewhat wider than the two other opposite sides. Adhered to the opposite sides of the core member are side pieces 5 and top and bottom pieces 6, thesey top, bottom and side pieces also being Veither single or multiple construction. Inv the instant case the side pieces are comprised of plies 1, 8 and 9 of asbestos sheets; or the side, top and Abottom pieces may be a single thick panel, such as asbestos millboard. The sides may be of cement-asbestos or any material which is inherently highly water and re resistant or has been treatedto make them such. The plies are adhesively or otherwise secured together to the sides of the core 4 at I 0. Any material, however,

is suitable for making :the sidepieces and various means may be lused to secure them to Athe core.

The `longitudinal `edges -Il 'of the 'sidejpiecesi and 6 'are squared and form when the fsedtions' are expanded or opened from their fiat yor'collapsed i. condition, grooves I2 at `the corners. To reenforce the outside corners' 'of the side pieces and provide smooth edges, kinuslin "or Akraft "paper s'trips'v I3 maybe applied al'ong'the longitudinal margins tof thesides z'The reeniorcing-s'trips also give wa more iiinis'hed Vappearance "to the vconduit sections. They are, howeverfoptionable and may be 'omitted if desired. "I'hey'serve-asa'protection and further seal should any breaks occur'at the corners-oiture 3. Y n

`In lcollapsible `conduit sections 'heretofore lem# ployed, lthe corners "have been "of the *same thickv ness'as the other portions v'of the -wall'fandtherefore lneed 'to be 'scored in order *to 'make them flexible enough to-bend. y'This `not 'suitable .in

relative thick wall conduits.

"The conduit sections, lbecause of 'the lflexibility of Athe core, rcan -`bev readily collapsed or `iiattened to 'a jblan'k as shown in Fig'. "3 forfbe'ing hand-led and s'hipped. Any number 'of "collapsed conduit or lp'ipe 'sections lmay 'be v"stacked finto ya *bundle or v4package for :handling and shipping, and then opened Lor expanded on the job where `they' A'are assembled into end to end .relation "to form "a conduit. f`

The finnerjcore 4 'is circumferentially vcontinuous and provides a tight 'sealforthe conduit when the' Ysections are expanded; .and a hinge -for the side members in the collapsed blank. It is very flexible as distinguished from the sides to which the side pieces have been secured.

If desired, the assembled conduit may have plastic cement or a' preformed strip I4 applied to filly the outside corner grooves at the juncture of the side pieces. The cement or lling strip can of course be used whether or not the reenforcing strip I3 be employed. Without the reenforcing strips, the cement or lling strip would be applied in contact with the edges of the side pieces. Like the reenforcing strips, the lling strip is optionable.

The collar 2 may advantageously be of the same construction as the conduit sections but of suiiiciently larger size to fit snugly over the adjacent conduit sections and cover the joint seam between the ends of the conduit sections. If desired, cementing means may be applied to the ends of the conduit sections or the collarmay be adhered in position'.

By having the conduit sections made up into collapsible blanks which can be attened out, they can be bundled compactly for shipment and handling Without loss of waste space and are considerably less bulky. Yet they are completely constructed and need only be opened or expanded into form suitable for assembly in end to end relation.

Having described the invention, We claim:

1. A collapsible air conduit comprising a circumferentially continuous, flexible core having separate rigid side pieces attached thereto forming Walls for the conduit substantially coextensive in length and circumference with the core,

said core providing means for flexibly connecting the sides to permit said core and sides being eX- panded or opened from a collapsed iiat blank.

2. A collapsible air conduit comprising a circumferentially continuous, exible core having separate rigid side pieces attached thereto forming Walls for the conduit substantially coextensive in length and circumference with the core, said core flexibly connecting the sides together and permitting said sides and the core to be collapsed in a at blank.

3. A collapsible air conduit comprising a circumferentially continuous, flexible core having separate rigid side pieces attached thereto forming Walls for the conduit substantially coextensive in length and circumference with the core, and squared longitudinal edges formed on the side pieces to provide a recess between the edges of adjacent side pieces when the conduit is expanded. y

4. A collapsible air conduit comprising a circumferentially continuous, flexible core having rigid side pieces attached thereto forming walls for the conduit substantially coextensive in length and circumference with the core, and a nishing strip applied to the joint between adjacent edges of the side pieces.

5. A sectional air conduit comprised of collapsible sections disposed in end to end relation and connected by a collar, .each of said sections being composed of asubstantially continuous, iiexible core having separate rigid side pieces attached thereto forming Walls for the section and substantially coextensive in length and circumference with the core.

6. Collapsible sections of air conduits adapted to be disposed in end to end relation and connected by a collar, each of said sections being composed of a vsubstantially continuous, exible core having rigid side pieces attached to said core forming Walls for the section and substantially coextensive in length and circumference with the core.

7. Collapsible sections of air conduits adapted to be disposed in end to end relation and connected by a collar, each of said sections being composed of a substantially continuous, flexible core having rigid side pieces attached to said core forming Walls for the section and substantially coextensive in length and circumference with the core and a reenforcing corner piece over the edges of adjacent side pieces.

8. A collapsible air conduit section consisting of a circumferentially continuous, flexible core of one or more plies of asbestos paper having separate board like side pieces attached thereto for forming side Walls for the conduit sections which are hinged together by the core for permitting thesection to beexpanded or opened from a collapsed lat blank. 9. A sectional air conduit comprising collapsible sections consisting of a, continuous, flexible core of one or more plies of asbestos paper having separate board-like side pieces of ber board material attached thereto for forming side Walls for the collapsible section which are hinged together by the core for permitting the sections to be ex panded or opened from a collapsible llat blank.

10. A collapsible air conduit section consisting of a circumferentially continuous, exible core of one or more plies of asbestos paper having separate board-like side pieces attached thereto for forming side walls for the conduit sections which are hinged together by' the core for permitting the section to be expanded or opened from a collapsed flat blank, and a iinishing .strip adhered to the longitudinal adjacent margins and edges of the fiber board side pieces.

11. A sectional air conduit comprising` collapsible sections consisting of a continuous, flexible core of one or more plies of asbestos paper having separate board-like side pieces of fiber board material attached thereto for formingside Walls for the collapsible section which are hinged together by the core for permitting the sections to be expanded or opened from a collapsible flat blank, and a finishing strip adhered to the longitudinal adjacent margins and edges of the ber board pieces. A

WALTER L. STEFFENS, LAURENCE E. WHITAKER. 

